Taang Week 2011
by smileyBAM03
Summary: "And for the first time in my life, I felt as though I could see and take on the world I lived in."  Taang week 2011! Prompt 4 is Globe! Please read and review!
1. Job

_Hey everyone! I thought I would try my hand at Taang week 2011. I believe I'm late for it but what ever. Better late than never. (Also I just found the prompts a couple of hours ago)_

_The first prompt was Job. So here goes nothing! As always I do not own anything. Avatar the last Airbender belongs to Mike and Brian and Nickelodeon. I am merely a sixteen year old girl who loves Avatar and needs a better creative outlet._

_Read, Review and all that good stuff._

**Job**

"Toph. Toph! Are you listening to me?" Poppy Bei Fong snapped at her sixteen year old daughter. Toph looked up.

"Yeah?" she mumbled, turning her attention back to her mother.

"What was I saying then? Her mother asked, raising her eyebrows at her blind daughter.

"I don't know, something about how to walk, or something?" Toph guessed, leaning back into her chair. Poppy let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose with her forefinger and thumb. They were outside once again in the garden for what Poppy called, "Etiquette lessons". Toph called them something more profane.

"Toph, this is really important that you learn this. No family is going to want you to marry their son if you do not have proper manners. They're not going to accept you if all you do is go gallivanting off in men's clothes, earth bending with a bunch of big sweaty savages!"

Toph rolled her eyes and spat on the ground next to her. Poppy winkled her face with disgust.

"Like that," her mother pointed out blankly. Toph smirked, knowing that she was successfully annoying her mother; her main goal lately.

"Dear, the Bei Fongs have a high reputation and status in the Earth kingdom. You, being our only daughter have to uphold that status." Toph picked at her bare dirt encrusted feet.

"Toph! It's your job to be a proper lady. Not some ragamuffin!"

"Who says ragamuffin anymore? Toph snickered. Poppy was losing her disposition and becoming more aggravated with her daughter.

"Your sixteen years old! Already you have had several suitors coming here. They were all fine and perfect gentlemen from respectable families. But you turned all of them down!"

"They were boring, stupid or old. Or a combination of the three," Toph defended, pushing a lock of ebony hair behind her ear.

Poppy leaned in toward the youth and placed her hand gently on her shoulder.

"I know you've spent all that time traveling the world and training the Avatar. That's all fine and good. But you are home now and need to act like a respectable lady I am raising you to be. It's your job to…"

"I don't want to be a "Respectable Lady" Toph interrupted her mother, her voice beginning to shake with anger. "I don't want to learn nor care about how to walk daintily, pour tea, wear stupid fancy dresses and act like a spineless panda-lily! I want to work at the Earth Bending academy. I want to sleep until noon, be covered in dirt, live my own life and have fun. I don't even know if I want to get married. Especially not to someone chosen for me. It would be someone I pick regardless of status or what freaking family he comes from! This is why I left in the first place, Mom! I'm tired of you and Dad controlling everything about me!" Toph stood up and headed toward the entrance gate of the estate. Poppy Bei Fong called out for her insolent daughter to come back but she was already gone. She sighed again and began walking back inside. She would try again tomorrow.

"_Im so sick of her telling me what to do!"_ Toph angrily thought, clenching her fists and she stormed thought the busy streets of Gaoling. She unconsciously made her way toward the Blind Bandit Earth Academy at the end of town. An all too familiar route. Shortly after the war ended, Toph took over Master Yu's school and renamed it. She was tough but fair on her many students. They all respected her. Toph approached the back door and opened it using the key she had metal bended herself.

It was quiet for once at the academy; there were no classes being held that afternoon. She entered the main practice arena, her feet sensing that her assistants did not fix up the arena after the morning classes.

"I'm going to have to teach them a lesson tomorrow," Toph sadistically said to herself as she began leveling out the ground with Earth bending. From behind her, she could feel a pair of light and familiar footsteps walking toward her.

"There no classes this afternoon. Come back tomorrow," She said in an annoyed voice to the person, not turning around. "I thought I locked the door", she thought.

"I guess I'll come back later then," an all to familiar voice said.

"Twinkle Toes?" Toph spun around. "What are you doing here?" She smiled and walked toward him.

"I was on my way from Omashu and thought I'd stop by," Aang said, a smile in his voice, grabbing her in a strong hug. Toph could feel that Aang grew as they embraced. He was now a towering foot taller than her. His arms were no longer thin and wiry are they were four years ago. They were hard and muscular that came with many years of intense physical training.

Toph's heart being to pound, and her blood rushed to her face. She pulled out from the hug, confused of her body's reaction. One she hasn't felt since her crush on Sokka many years ago.

"Are we just going to stand here?" I haven't seen you in four years. Lets see what you got, Twinkles," Toph challenged, changing the subject. She got into her defensive sparing stance, flexing her strong arm muscles.

"Same old Toph," Aang laughed and complied with the young woman's request.

All while they Earth Bended the afternoon away, Toph's heart was fluttering the whole time.

_Okay how was that? Please review! Expect the next prompt, Marker, sometime tomorrow!_

_Review!_

_-SmileyBAM_


	2. Marker

_Hello everyone! A big thanks to __**Charizardag, DayMoon89, EpicAndStrange, **__**fanofdeliciousflavor522,**__ and __**Angie188**__ for reviewing, story alerting and all that good stuff. Here is day two of Taang week 2011! I do not own Avatar: the Last Air bender or anything associated with it. _

_The second prompt is __**Marker.**__ This one is in modern day. Toph can see, there is no bending and they are 16 years old. I had a little trouble with this one. I had to re write it three times before I liked it. _

_Please read, review, enjoy!_

_**2. Marker:**_

"Did you like the movie, Toph?" Aang asked his unusually quiet girlfriend on the other side of the couch in his living room. The credits rolled on the old rabbit antenna television set before turning to static; courtesy of an out-dated VHS.

"Toph?" Aang noticed Toph was fast asleep on her stomach, her thin arm dangling off the side of the couch. Her normally tough and ridged facial lines were smooth and relaxed; a rare sight for Aang to see. Her faint, quiet breathing could be heard. He felt his eyes move from her face to her small yet curvy frame all the way to her bare and calloused feet. Toph's green tee-shirt had ridden up, reveling the small of her back.

Aang stood up and turned the TV off. Making his way back to the couch, he noticed a black permanent marker lying on the coffee table. The sixteen year old picked it up and glanced between the marker and Toph's back.

"_She's gonna kill me,"_ he thought with a smile as he uncapped the marker. Aang quietly tiptoed to where Toph was lying on the couch. With gentle strokes he drew an over exaggerated and flourished heart on the reveled part of his girlfriend's back. Inside the heart he wrote AANG in neat uppercase lettering.

"_Paybacks a bitch, Toph_" Aang thought, smirking as he capped the marker. This seemed to him like a good repayment for most of Toph's recent bossiness and abusive demeanor. The girl began to stir and Aang quickly returned to his previous seat, pretending he had never moved.

"What time is it?" Toph grumbled, sitting up. Her long, black hair fanned around her face and stood out in almost every direction.

"Around 11:30 pm," Aang glanced his weathered watch on his wrist.

"Crap, I'm gonna be late for curfew!" Toph stood up and grabbed her sweatshirt and ran to the front door.

"Are you gonna drive or what, Twinkles?" Toph impatiently asked before opening the door. Aang took his car keys from his pocket and followed Toph out the door.

It wasn't until later did Toph called him on an angry rampage. Apparently someone had drawn his name in a heart on her back. Her mom mistook it for tattoo. Toph threatened Aang with every profanity she knew and told him he would regret everything.

It was totally worth it.

_Alrighty. Well, you know the drill. Review! Feedback! Constructive criticism is much appreciated. _

_-__**SmileyBAM**_


	3. Jewel

_Thank you, __**EpicAndStrange, DayMoon89 **__and____**love4anime**__ for reviewing or alerting… Here is Day three of Taang week 2011. The word is__** Jewel**__. I do not own Avatar or anything to do with it. But I did make up the little story within the story. This chapter takes place around 15 years in the future. _

_As always, please read, review and so on. _

_**Jewel:**_

Warm, flickering light glowed into the hallway from the doorway at the end. Aang could hear his two children whispering and laughing as he approached their door.

"Why are you guys still up? It's getting late. You were supposed to be asleep almost two hours ago," Aang entered his children's bedroom. Eight year old Xiang and four year old Jie were on the floor, playing with and probably harassing an annoyed and elderly Momo.

"I'm not tired." Xiang protested, standing up with a gust of air. Xiang was the only air bender out of Aang's two children, his skill quickly filling his father's footsteps.

"Yeah daddy, I'm not tired too," Jie echoed her brother, but walking to her futon regardless.

"Can you tell us a story? Pleaseeee?" The four year old asked, while she coaxed Momo to her side of the room.

"Alright, only one though," Aang sat down on the ground between the two children. "Which one do you want to hear?" Jie rolled onto the floor and got a scroll from the shelf.

"This one!" she presented to her Father. Xiang groaned.

"Whenever Jie picks out the story, it's always something babyish and girly." Xiang grumbled.  
>"I like Mom's stories better," he added. Aang smirked at his son. Jie's bright green eyes glared at her older brother; a look she learned from her mother.<p>

"Last time your mother told you a story, you had night mares for days about evil turtle-ducks and cannibal Earth Benders," Aang pointed out took the scroll from Jie. Xiang had no response.

"The Hidden Jewel", Aang read. He opened the scroll and began.

"_A long time ago, there was an Earth king in a small kingdom in the Earth Nation. The name of this king was Jian Fu. He was a greedy man, who cared much about getting money, gold and jewels. Jian Fu only had a daughter, a beautiful girl named Shuchun who he loved very much. When Shuchun turned seventeen, her father decided that she was of marrying age. Back then, it was the father who choose who married whom. Jian Fu said: "Who ever offer the most valuable jewels will get to marry Shuchun". Many men throughout the city offered their best, but Jian Fu was not impressed. Meanwhile, Shuchun met a man while in the city. He was a common man; the son of a miner. His name was Da Ling, and he was a very wise and intelligent man. The two young people quickly got to know each other and fell in love, without Jian Fu knowing. Da Ling wished to marry Shuchun and asked for her father's permission. Jian Fu asked: "What do you have to offer?" Da Ling presented him with five smooth rocks, all a grey- white in color. Very ordinary looking. Jian Fu laughs at the man and attempts to send him on his way. Da Ling is very adamant about marrying Shuchun. He tells the king, "In three days, the rocks will turn into very valuable jewels." The king is amused by this and agrees to the arrangement, doubtful though._

"_If they turn into something of worth, you may marry my daughter." He says and he places the stones on a small table in the throne room of the palace. _

_Three days go by. Jian Fu is becomes angry. Impatience is getting the better of him. He believes that he was tricked by Da Ling, a commoner. In a flash of anger, he takes the rocks and throws them as hard as he can on the hard stone floor. Upon impact, the rocks crack open and begin to glisten in the light. Curious, Jian Fu picks one of the pieces up. He discovers that there were many little jewels and crystals inside the rocks. Da Ling was right! In three days, the rocks __**did**__ turn into jewels. Da Ling was allowed to marry Shuchun. And they lived together very happily. Jian Fu learned an important lesson, Something that seems plain and boring, like a rock, can be beautiful and is worth waiting for." The End. _

"Why when ever Dad tells us a story, I feel like I am listening to one of Uncle Iroh's proverbs or something," Xiang complained, slouching down against his futon.

"It was Jie's turn anyway," Aang reasoned. The man stood up and kissed his daughter's forehead. Xiang ducked out of the way when it was his turn. Aang smiled and reached over to dim the oil lantern with fire- bending.

"G'night, daddy," Jie said before lying down.

"Goodnight you two," Aang softly said as he left the room and quietly slid the paper screened door shut.

"Are they asleep?" Toph asked her husband as he entered their bedroom. She was sitting on their low bed, trying to run a comb through her dark hair; a habit she devolved with age.

"Yeah, finally after I told them a story," Aang peeled off his monk robes, wearing only a pair of pants similar to what he wore when he was younger. He slid into the bed next to her.

"You really should have me tell them a story more often, than that wimpy stuff you read them. Give them a backbone," Toph teased the man next to her. She seemed to give up on her hair as she threw the brush on the floor.

"Hey, I'm teaching them good morals!" Aang protested well humouredly.

"Like what?" Toph smirked.

"That, I quote: "Something that seems plain and boring, like a rock, can be beautiful and is worth waiting for." Kind of like you" Aang smiled at his wife.

"Are you calling me a rock?" Toph questioned as she leaned back against her pillow.

"No I'm saying… Never mind," Aang put out the oil lamp, allowing the moonlight to stream into the room through the open window.

"I was saying that you're beautiful..." Aang mumbled.

Toph smirked in the dark. "Go to sleep Twinkletoes." They slowly drifted to sleep.

_That took me a while to write. Like I said earlier, I did make up the little story. So please tell me how I did. Also, fun fact: The names in this chapter have real meanings. Aang's children,__** Jie**__ and __**Xiang **__mean "cleanliness" and "Soaring", respectively. The name __**Jian Fu**__ means literally, "Strong Money". The name __**Shuchun**__ means pure beauty and the name __**Da Ling**__ means "Intelligent"._

_So please review!_


	4. Globe

_Hey y'all. Thank you to all who reviewed, alerted and read the last chapters! That means a lot to me! Sorry for the lack of update, I've been busy with work and what not. Oh, and writers block. That too. _

_This chapter takes place when Toph is around 5-6 years Toph meets the badger moles. The word is Globe._

_Please, read, review, enjoy!_

_**Globe:**_

**Toph's Point of View:**

A cool breeze filtered in through the open window. Warm sunlight cascaded on the floor, and I wiggled in my wooden chair with impatience and discomfort. Mostly discomfort; the chair was hard and my feet couldn't even touch the floor. Sifu Fan Li droned on and on about numbers . Like I would ever be able to count them. Or the symbols for words. Like I would ever be able to read them. For a teacher, he wasn't very smart. School is hard for a blind person. He should know that. My parents remind him all the time. "Make sure the lessons are not too difficult for her! She is blind you know!" I can hear you, Mom and Dad, I'm not deaf.

Sifu continued to talk, as if I wasn't here. "If Lee has five leech nuts and Jun has 3 Leech nuts, how many do they have together?" I get it. Its eight nuts. Who says that they would combine them then? They don't have to share if they don't want to.

"Alright Toph. Time for Geography," Sifu Fan Li said. I could hear him taking something off of the shelf behind him. He placed something in front of me, I perk up in attention; I attempt to slide my chair forward.

"I placed a globe in front of you." I could hear him sit down on the other side of the desk.

"What's a "Globe"? I asked.

"It shows the world how it would be in space. Where all the nations, mountains and oceans are. It spins like it does in space and is raised so you can feel it," he explained. Sifu gently picked up my right hand and placed it on the globe. It was hollow, and made out of wood, I could tell that. I slowly moved my hand along the side, feeling the raised bumps and smoothness. Sifu took my hand again, and placed it on a different part of the globe.

"Do you feel that large raised part?" I nodded. "That is the Earth nation, where we live." He moved my hand a little to the left. "This is where the Capital would be; Ba Sing Se." He continued. I could feel the small ridges of what would be the walls of the city.

"Where are we?" I asked, forgetting to not sound interested. Sifu moved my hand again down.

"Here is Gaoling," He said. I moved my hand to the right of the sphere. The texture changed from smooth and flat to a bumpy semi circle.

"Whats this?" I questioned, fingering the new shape.

"That's the Fire Nation." My teacher told me. "Feel all the bumps? There are tons of volcanos there. Volcanoes are parts of the earth that crack and let out fire and smoke," He explained.

"Dad says that the fire nation is bad. They started the war," I remembered my Dad calling them something. But mom told me never to repeat it. I think it was something bad.

"Yes, they did start the war, but not all of them are bad people. I bet there is a little girl there, learning the same lesson you is right now," Sifu replied. I could almost hear him smile. I moved my hand down on the globe. I reached the bottom of it.

"Whats this place?" I felt a large oval shaped land.

"That would be the South Pole. It's entirely ice and snow and really cold. That's where the Southern water tribe lives," Sifu Fan Li answered.

"Who would want to live there? I bet you can't even walk around without shoes!" I shook my head and wiggled my bare feet defiantly. Silly water tribe people. They must be crazy. I moved my hand a little bit up, or North, according to Sifu.

I felt a tiny island almost attached to the South Pole.

"Who lives here?" I asked, looking up in the general direction of my tutor.

"The Southern Air temple was there. That is where all the Air benders lived," He said.

"Where are they now?" I questioned.

"They died almost one hundred years ago by the Fire nation. And not just that temple. The other temples were burnt down too." He said quietly.

"So Dad was right, the Fire Nation is bad!" Stupid teacher. He didn't have a response to that.

"What were they like?" I changed the subject for his sake.

"Very peaceful and friendly. In the Southern Temple, only boys and men lived there. All of them could Air bend. That's where they said the last Avatar was from. Only he disappeared one hundred years ago.

"I wish I could have a friend from there, they sound cool," I mumbled, rubbing my fingers over the globe. Sifu picked up the globe and put it back on the shelf; my hand flopped back on the table.

"Lessons are over for today, Toph. I'll see you tomorrow." Sifu began picking up his supplies. I stood up off the chair, rejoicing as my feet touched the floor and I stretched my legs.

"Can we use that globe again tomorrow?" I asked. That was the most interesting lesson we had in a while.

"Maybe. If you pay attention during math next time," He reasoned. I smiled and walked out off the room.

If I only knew at that point that I would get my wish. That I would get "my friend from the Southern Air Temple." If I only knew what that "Friend" would get me into. What would I be privileged to experience and who I would meet? That I would help save the human race. And meet the boy I would grow to love. If I only knew.

And for the first time in my life, I felt like I could see and take on the world I lived in.


End file.
